Wiki Programming As Game Playing

Programming as Gaming ThinkingOutLoud.DonaldNoyes.20120523

After seeing how involved and consumed individuals can become while Playing Games on their computers, I am wondering if one created a development scenario existing as a VirtualEnvironment? not unlike that of current popular games, what would become of OpenSource and OpenCollaboration?

If problems to be solved were configured as opponents to be conquered, overcome, or eliminated, the result being the elevation of the conquerer in status and abilities, as well as those who identify and locate enemies or pinpoint strongholds to be challenged receiving recognitions as key collaborators evaluated in terms of numeric levels.

Is this something which can be or should be done? What do you think of this idea?

I have spent some time thinking about ideas like this (e.g. with respect to WikiIde). For open programming problems, an approach like StackOverflow's should work well, especially if augmented with a real economy. People can get trophies, points, and maybe bounties (points or cash) for developing a good solution to specific problems. Providing a series of standard challenges would also work as a way to teach people a language and get them a stock of initial points.

There's actually a standard name for this: "gamification". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification)

See:

CategoryCollaboration